Our Prices

Residential Property Conveyancing

Fee Calculation and Quote Request To determine the cost of our conveyancing services for buying or selling residential property, please refer to the full breakdown below. Generally, no extra expenses beyond those detailed will be necessary. For each new conveyancing inquiry, we will communicate with you to understand the specifics of your situation and transaction. Subsequently, we will generate and send you a tailored quote fitting your circumstances. For a personalized quote, please reach us at 020 30583365 or enquiries.sa@ackroydlegal.com Alternatively, contact a member of our property team directly. Breakdown of Charges Our charges encompass the following components:

Our legal fees for the required work.
‘Disbursements’ which pertain to expenses linked to your case, like Land Registry fees. We manage these payments on your behalf for a smoother process.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (applicable for property purchases).

Please note that any mention of VAT pertains to the prevailing rate of 20%. Fee Structure The fees we charge are contingent on the property’s value, whether it’s freehold or leasehold. Our fees include all necessary costs, eliminating the risk of unforeseen additions like bank transfer or ID checking fees on your bill later. Our fees are generally on a fixed fee basis, in that the fees for each aspect of a transaction have a defined amount. Complex matters may be billable on an hourly basis should the The fees listed are our average fee ranges for a purchase transaction. The fee (including additional fees and disbursements) may vary depending on the source of the instruction, your solicitor’s experience and location, the property price and what work we are required to do. Conveyancing matters are either dealt with by a qualified lawyer or by a paralegal under direct supervision by a qualified lawyer. Peter Benjamin is our Head of Conveyancing and is a qualified solicitor with almost 20 years experience.

Property Value	Freehold Purchase Fee (excl VAT)	Leasehold Purchase Fee (excl VAT)	Freehold Sale Fee (excl VAT)	Leasehold Sale Fee (excl VAT)
Up to £399,999	£1,200.00	£1,320.00	£1,200.00	£1,320.00
£400,000 – £499,999	£1,320.00	£1,440.00	£1,320.00	£1,440.00
£500,000 – £749,999	£1,440.00	£1,560.00	£1,440.00	£1,560.00
£750,000.01 – £999,999	£1,560.00	£1,680.00	£1,560.00	£1,680.00
£1,000,000.00+	Please call for a quote	Please call for a quote	Please call for a quote	Please call for a quote

Additional Expertise

Should your transaction require additional expertise, a fixed fee will be quoted for the specific legal work, as outlined below:

Searches	£549 (+20% VAT of £109.80)
Help to Buy	£100 – £500 (+20% VAT of £20 – £100)
Help To Buy ISA	£50 (+20% VAT of £10)
Telegraphic Transfer	£50 + VAT (+20% VAT £10) per transfer
SDLT Admin	£50 – £125 (+20% VAT of £10 – £25)
Acting For Lender	£100 – £500 (+20% VAT of £20 – £100)
Islamic Mortgage	£500 + VAT
Administering Gifted Deposit – from a third party	£100 – £300 (+20% VAT of £20 – £60)
Administration for Applying Unilateral Notice	£50 (+20% VAT of £10)
Update to External Portals	£35 – £95 (+20% VAT of £7 – £19)
Limited Company Purchase	£250 (+20% VAT of £50)
ID/AML Checks	£49 + VAT per person
Pre-Completion Searches	£49.00 + VAT

If both buying and selling a property, charges will apply to both the sale and purchase. For remortgaging, fixed fees of £950.00 (freehold) or £1,200.00 (leasehold) are applicable. VAT at 20% is added to all our fees.

Disbursements

Disbursement payments vary based on whether you are buying, selling, or both. They depend on property type, location, and other factors.

For instance, buying a freehold property typically requires payments such as:

HM Land Registry fee starting from £135.00
Land Registry Priority Search at £3.00
Bankruptcy Search at £2.00 per client

Selling a property involves disbursements such as:

Land Registry Office Copy Entries and Title Plan at £3.00 per title number

Leasehold property disbursements differ and may include:

Notice of Transfer fee (between £150- £250)
Notice of Charge fee (if mortgaged) (between £150.00 – £200.00)
Deed of Covenant fee (between £150.00 – £300.00)
Certificate of Compliance fee (between £50.00 – £0.00)
Leasehold Management Pack fee (between £50 – £600.00)

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Property buyers are subject to Stamp Duty Land Tax, calculated based on the property price. You can determine your payment using HMRC’s website or the Welsh Revenue Authority’s site for properties in Wales.

Other Considerations

If you have a mortgage or estate agent’s fee, we settle these payments directly from the sale proceeds. Leasehold property buyers should anticipate ongoing ground rent and service charges. Other unforeseen costs may also arise.

Examples of Charges

For a £500,000.00 freehold property sale, charges typically include:

Our Legal Fee: £1,440.00
VAT at 20%: £288
Total Legal Fee, inc VAT: £1,728.00

Different scenarios like selling and buying a £500,000.00 and £750,000.00 freehold property entail charges such as:

Sale

Our Legal Fee: £1,440.00
VAT at 20%: £288
Total Legal Fee, inc VAT: £1,728.00

Purchase

Our Legal Fee: £1,560.00
Searches Fee: £549.00
VAT at 20%: £312
Total Legal Fee, inc VAT: £2,421

Disbursements include Land Registry Official Copies, Bankruptcy Search, and Land Registry Fee, among others.

Processing Time

The conveyancing process usually takes around two months for a transaction or one month for remortgages. Variations depend on individual circumstances and the cooperation of all parties involved.

However, the time an individual case takes to complete can vary greatly from this average, depending on the circumstances; largely the result of the readiness and willingness of all parties to proceed.

We will always do our best to be proactive and, at no stage in the process, become the reason for delay.

Factors Affecting Time

Numerous factors influence conveyancing duration, including:

Form completion delays
Delays in third-party responses
Chain transaction hold-ups
Dependent legal proceedings (e.g., probate)
Unforeseen issues (tenant demands, regulatory approvals)

Key Stages

For purchases, stages encompass:

Title investigation and property searches
Agreements and mortgage deed
Completion and fund transfer
Tax returns and HMRC payment (as well as Stamp Duty)
Land Registry registration

For property sales, key stages involve:

Liaising with estate agents and requesting the memorandum of sale
Obtaining sale details
Preparing and issuing a draft contract to buyer’s solicitor
Requesting a redemption statement
Addressing buyer’s inquiries
Retrieving lender statements
Regular updates and billing
Completion statement and funds transfer

If we are simply helping you to re-mortgage your property, then we would generally speaking only need to:

· Provide initial legal advice

· Order property searches where necessary

· Obtain further planning documentation if required

· Go through conditions of mortgage offer with you

· Send final documents to you for signature

· Apply for mortgage advance and redeem any previous mortgages

· Apply for registration at Land Registry

Who Manages Your Case?

Your case will be managed by a trusted member of our skilled property team, including qualified lawyers and specialized paralegals. Our partners supervise every case, ensuring high-quality service.

Probate

Coping with bereavement is an emotional and difficult time and here at Ackroyd Legal we have a great team who can deal with your matter sensitively and efficiently. As every estate is different we are happy to offer a free initial consultation or to discuss your matter over the telephone. This will give us the opportunity to assess your requirements. Please don’t hesitate to call us on 0208 986 3911 to arrange a consultation. Our probate department is lead by Ali Ebrahim, a qualified solicitor with over 15 years’ experience. Any work undertaken will be carried out by a qualified lawyer or Our charges are made up of:

Our fees for the legal work;
‘Disbursements’ – disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to other people, such as probate application fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Where VAT is referred to below please note that this will be charged at the applicable rate, which is currently 20%.

Standard probate work includes applying for a ‘Grant of Probate’ and Collecting and Distributing Assets in a ‘simple’ matter. Normally this work takes between 14 and 24 hours work at £150 – £300 per hour (plus VAT at 20%). Total costs therefore tend to be in the region of £3,500 – £6,000 (plus VAT at 20%). The total costs will depend upon the context of the matter. For instance, if someone has died leaving only one beneficiary in an undisputed will and no property, then costs would be at the lower end of the range because it will be simple to administer. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts however, costs will be at the higher end even if the will is still not disputed. As detailed above, please remember that VAT of 20% is charged on all our fees or legal work. Disbursements Disbursements are payments that we make to third parties on your behalf. These are separate payments for which the estate is liable in addition to our costs as described above.

Probate application fee	£273 (plus £15 for 10 copies) – No VAT applicable
Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department Searches	£2.00 per beneficiary – No VAT applicable
Post in The London Gazette	£77 plus VAT at 20%
Post in a Local Newspaper	£120-£200 plus VAT at 20%
As part of our legal fees, we will: Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms Draft a legal oath for you to swear Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you Collect and distribute all assets in the estate Key stages The key stages involved vary according to the circumstances. The guidance on our fees above covers all of the work in relation to: Identifying the executors and beneficiaries Checking the type of Probate application you will require Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application Completing the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms Making the application for probate Obtaining the Probate and distribute copies as necessary Collecting and distributing all assets in the estate

Immigration

Immigration work is carried out by Sue Chana or Sevcan Kaygun.

Sue Chana supervises the department. Sue has been specialising in immigration law since 2008 and has conducted over 500 cases since she qualified.

Sevcan has been a qualified solicitor since 2016 and has carried out immigration work throughout her career.

Both of our qualified lawyers work on a fixed fee basis and not an hourly rate.

Sue is supported by our Legal Assistants and Paralegals whose hourly rates vary from £120 plus VAT to £150 plus VAT.

Please note that our fees below exclude VAT charged at 20% unless specifically stated.

Charging VAT in relation to immigration matters may depend on where you live and/or what immigration permission you have. Whether VAT (at a rate of 20%) is payable is confirmed upon instruction.

The estimates below are based on an average cost in previous cases we have dealt with. All applications are likely to vary. We can give a more accurate estimate once we have more information about a specific case:

UK Visas
Investor, business development and talent visas	Fee Estimates (all fees exclude VAT at 20%)
Innovator	Initial/switch: £5,000 – £10,000 Extension: £3,000 – £6,000 Dependant: £2,500
Start-up	Initial/switch: £5,000 – £10,000 Extension: £3,000 – £6,000 Dependant: £2,500
UK Expansion Worker	Initial/switch: £8,000 – £12,000 Extension: £8,000 – £12,000 Dependant: £2,500
Entrepreneur and Investor	Extension only: £5,000 – £10,000 Dependant: £2,500
Global Talent	Initial/switch: £10,000 – £20,000 Extension: £3,000 – £5,000 Dependant: £2,500
Long Term Work Visas
Skilled Worker	Initial/switch (in UK): £2,500 – £3,500 Initial/switch (outside UK): £3,000 – £5,000 Extension: £2,500 – £3,500 Dependant: £1,500 – £2,500
Health and Care Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Scale-up Worker, Minister of Religion	Initial/switch: £2,500 – £3,500 Extension: £2,500 – £3,500 Dependant: £1,500 – £2,500
Sportsperson	Initial/switch: £3,000 – £6,000 Extension: £2,500 – £4,000 Dependant: £1,500 – £2,500
Other Work Visas
UK Ancestry	Initial/switch: £3,000 – £5,000 Extension: £2,500 – £3,500 Dependant: £1,500 – £2,500
Temporary Work (incl. work experience)	Initial/switch: £2,500 – £3,500 Extension: £2,500 – £3,500 Dependant: £1,500 – £2,500
Sponsorship
Application for sponsor licence	£3,500 – £5,500
Allocation of Certificate of Sponsorship	£400 – £600
Study in the UK
Student Visa	£2,500 to £3,000
Child Student Visa	£3,000 to £4,000
Family in the UK
Visa Type Partner (Fiancée, Spouse, Civil Partner, Child)	Initial: £1500 – ,
Other types of UK visa
Visitor	Initial: £1500 – £2000
EEA Nationals And Their Family Members (EU Settlement Scheme – Pre-Settled or Settled Status)	£1000 £1500
Individual applying to become British (Naturalisation)	£1000 -£1500
Indefinite Leave to Remain	£1000 – £1500

Representation at First-Tier Tribunal	Initial: £2000 – £3000

The precise cost will depend on the particular circumstances of the case.

Where the application is relatively straightforward it is likely that the fees will be at the lower end of the relevant scale. Where there are complicating factors, the fees may reach or in some cases exceed the upper end.

Disbursements (not included in costs set out above)

Disbursements are costs that are payable to third parties, such as visa fees. As with our fees, the below disbursements exclude VAT.

We have marked where VAT at 20% may be chargeable but we will confirm whether VAT is payable when instructed.

The costs quoted here do not include:

· Any Home Office and official fees for submitting the application. These vary depending on the type of application you are making. Please see the following link for further information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table

· Fees of independent expert witnesses where required (VAT at 20% may be chargeable). These fees can vary greatly however are generally £250+

· Interpreter fees which vary depending on what language you speak and the amount of time spent by the interpreter. VAT at 20% may be chargeable on interpreter’s fees and they generally range between

· Official translation fees which vary depending on the language and the number of documents requiring translation. VAT at 20% may be chargeable on translation fees

· Counsel’s fees which may be incurred for ad hoc advice on complex issues, or representation at First-Tier Tribunal hearings, at £250-£400 per hour (VAT at 20% may be chargeable).

What services are included

The work will involve:

· discussing your circumstances in detail and advising on the Immigration Rules and your eligibility in relation to the relevant application

· considering whether any other options are available to you

· completing the application documentation

· providing you with a comprehensive checklist outlining what documents are required in support of your application

· reviewing supporting documentation provided by you and advising if additional evidence is required*

· preparing a covering letter containing legal submissions in support of your application and submitting the application on your behalf

· preparing further template documentation where required

· coordinating Home Office application appointments where necessary

· liaising with the Home Office in relation to your application if the need arises

· giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

*the time this will take depends on the number of documents, whether they need to be translated, whether anything is missing and how long it will take to obtain any missing documents.

Appeals

Please note that we also offer advice or assistance in relation to appeals. Our appeal services are not included in the fees above but we can discuss fee estimates for this with you separately.

Factors that could make a case more complicated

The following are examples of issues that may impact on the cost:

· The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider.

· Whether you have had a previous adverse immigration matter, such as a visa refusal.

· Which language(s) you speak.

· Whether you are applying with dependants and the number of dependants involved.

· How easily you are able to provide all of the supporting evidence.

· How clearly you meet the eligibility criteria for the relevant application.

· The urgency of your case.

· In relationship cases, where you are not married or where there are stepchildren.

How long will my application take?

· We will normally be able to submit most types of application within 2 weeks of instruction provided we have received all the necessary documentation, however in urgent cases we can make an application more quickly.

· We cannot guarantee how long the Home Office will take to process your application. However, the current processing times can be found on the Home Office website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-inside-the-uk

Debt Recovery Fees

The Debt Recovery team at Ackroyd Legal has been synonymous with recovering money owed to clients from businesses and organisations in London.

Ben Posener is a solicitor who has 18 years of experience in commercial law, dispute resolution, insolvency and mediation/arbitration matters, and therefore may be able to assist you or refer you to someone in his team to help resolve your issue. If the work is not carried out by him it will be carried out by another qualified lawyer or paralegal supervised directly by him.

When providing costs for debt recovery, it is common for firms to provide a fixed fee based on the value of the debt to recover.

Court Claims

These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee (e.g. if a one off letter is required), or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

Court fees are listed below:

Claim amount	Fees
Up to £300	£35
£300.01 to £500	£50
£500.01 to £1,000	£70
£1,000.01 to £1,500	£80
£1,500.01 to £3,000	£115
£3,000.01 to £5,000	£205
£5,000.01 to £10,000	£455
£10,000.01 to £200,000	5% of the claim
More than £200,000	£10,000

In addition to the court fees our fee scales are fixed fees and are as follows:

Non disputed invoice against a company – £250 plus VAT at 20%

Non disputed invoice against an individual – £300 plus VAT at 20%, plus the cost of a process server which is generally around £50 – £75 plus VAT at 20%.

Disputed invoice against a company:

£200 plus VAT at 20% for letter before action. £125 plus VAT at 20% to lodge Money Claim Online. £1800 plus VAT at 20% to prepare and attend at trial (one hearing).

Drafting settlement agreement – £250 plus VAT at 20%

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.

Our fee includes:

Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
Undertaking appropriate searches
Sending a letter before action
Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
If payment is not received within X days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take 4-8 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

If you wish to know more about the processes that are available and/or the costs that might apply to your claim please telephone our office on 0208986391.

Employment

Ben Posener is a solicitor who has 18 years of experience in commercial law, dispute resolution, insolvency and mediation/arbitration matters, and therefore may be able to assist you or refer you to someone in his team to help resolve your issue. Mr Posener has a number of years of experience in advising in relation to Employment Settlement Agreements. An Employment Settlement Agreement is a contractual agreement which has legally binding effect, between an employer and an employee. They are commonly used for settling a dispute between the employer and employee, or can be used for other purposes like ending employment between the employer and employee. Ben is able to assist and advise employers and employees on Employment Settlement Agreement matters. These agreements can also have tax implications depending on the compensation amounts, which again Ben can assist and advise on. Fees for Employment Settlement Agreement work depends on the matter and the file handlers involved. However, you can expect a fixed fee arrangement whereby the fees start at approximately £500 to £600 (excluding VAT) and rise to an average of £1000 (excluding VAT), but this could rise significantly depending on the facts and intricacy of the matter. For instance, the complexity is contingent on key factors like the contractual obligations on the employee’s contract, the compensation package, the employer which the employee works for, and the length of negotiations involved between the parties to resolve the matter and put the agreed terms in writing. As a general example, you could expect the complexity and negotiations involved for employment contracts at multinational corporations, to vary quite considerably to an employment contract at modest, high-street establishments. On all matters, 20% VAT is charged on top of the legal fees which have been described above. There are no disbursement charges for Employment Settlement Agreement work. The following are examples of factors which influence the intricacy of a matter:

· Confidentiality agreements;

· Compensation structure, such as base pay, bonus payments and commissions;

· Pension structures;

· Restrictive covenants;

· Non-complete clauses;

· Termination agreements;

· Nature of the termination agreement, i.e., the language which is negotiated;

· The compensation package;

· The nature of the dispute (if any) between the employer and employee, why this dispute came about, and the negotiation process involved in trying to resolve this dispute;

· Notice period as part of the employment settlement, if any;

· Whether the matter at hand is currently being dealt with at an employment tribunal, or if the matter is in the process of being considered to be taken to the employment tribunal

Key stages (this may change depending on the facts of your matter):

· The Employment Settlement Agreement needs to be legally binding, and certain criteria needs to be fulfilled in order to have that effect.

· For instance:

o The document needs to be in writing;

o The language and purpose of the document needs to relate to the specific dispute/issue at hand between the employer and employee;

o The document needs to be signed by the employee involved in the matter, and this employee must have received independent legal advice.

§ This independent legal advice can be provided by either an authorised union representative or solicitor. In addition, the adviser needs to be clearly identified and have insurance in place;

o The Employment Settlement Agreement needs to make very clear that the requirements which are regulating the Employment Settlement Agreement are fulfilled;

o Reasonable time limits need to be given, to allow both the employer and employee to consider the Employment Settlement Agreement

Further to the above, in the most basic sense, the Employment Settlement Agreement needs to be negotiated, agreed, signed, and complied with.

Duration of a matter: How long it takes to draft the Employment Settlement Agreement will of course vary case to case, and be dependent upon the facts of the case. However, compensation payments following the acceptance and signature of the agreement can be expected to be made within one month.

Licensing Applications

Markus Malik is a solicitor who deals with licensing applications for business premises. Markus has had 25+ years of Finance and Legal Experience. He has served as the CFO of MetLife Bank and as the Vice President responsible for the sale of retirement and savings products to institutional investors in the US.

Our fees are based on an hourly rate of £300 plus VAT per hour. Fees are likely to be:

· Simple application: £750 – £1250 plus VAT at 20% (based on 3-5 hours at an hourly rate of £250 plus VAT at 20%)

· Medium complexity: £1250 – £1750 plus VAT at 20% (based on 5-7 hours at an hourly rate of £250 plus VAT at 20%)

· High complexity: £3000 – £12500 plus VAT at 20% (based on 12-50 hours at an hourly rate of £250 plus VAT at 20%).

Factors affecting complexity may include whether there is a cumulative impact policy in place, the type and size of the premises, or whether it is in a residential area. An example of a simple application would be a one-off event in a private premises. A large scale public event could be a high complexity file.

The fee would generally include:

· taking your client’s instructions

· advising them as to how they can promote the licensing objectives within their premises licence application

· advising on the type of plans required to accompany their application

· completing and submitting the application

· disclosing the application to the responsible authorities

· making arrangements for the necessary advertising of the application.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the application fee. We will pay the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

For simple and medium complexity applications the following disbursements are likely to apply:

Band	A	B	C	D	E
Non-domestic rateable value	None to £4,300	£4,301 to £33,000	£33,001 to £87,000	£87,001 to £125,000	£125,001 plus
Premises licenses*
New application and variation	£100	£190	£315	£450	£635
Multiplier applied to premises used exclusively or primarily for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises (Bands D & E only)	N/A	N/A	N/A	×2 (£900)	×3 (£1,905)
Annual charge*	£70	£180	£295	£320	£350
Annual charge multiplier applied to premises used exclusively or primarily for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises (Bands D & E only)	N/A	N/A	N/A	×2 (£640)	×3 (£1,050)
Club premises certificates
New application variation	£100	£190	£315	£450	£635
Annual charge	£70	£180	£295	£320	£350

There are additional fees for premises licence applications, and the annual fee for exceptionally large-scale events (5,000+), unless certain conditions apply. Please read Regulation 4(4) and 4(5) of the Licensing Act 2003 (Fees) Regulations 2005.

For complex applications the following fees would apply:

Band	A	B	C	D	E
Non-domestic rateable value	None to £4,300	£4,301 to £33,000	£33,001 to £87,000	£87,001 to £125,000	£125,001 plus
Premises licenses*
New application and variation	£100	£190	£315	£450	£635
Multiplier applied to premises used exclusively or primarily for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises (Bands D & E only)	N/A	N/A	N/A	×2 (£900)	×3 (£1,905)
Annual charge	£70	£180	£295	£320	£350
Annual charge multiplier applied to premises used exclusively or primarily for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises (Bands D&E only)	N/A	N/A	N/A	×2 (£640)	×3 (£1,050)
Club premises certificates
New application variation	£100	£190	£315	£450	£635
Annual charge	£70	£180	£295	£320	£350

*These fees vary depending on the individual premises and where it is located. The fees can on occasion be higher than the ranges given above. We will give you an accurate figure for each item as soon as we are able to do so.

Our legal Fee includes:

· Taking your instructions and advising you as to how you can promote the licensing objectives within your application

· Advising you as the type of plans you are required to submit with your application.

· Completing the application form for a new premises licence (including the operating schedule) in accordance with your instructions and submitting this to the local licensing authority alongside suitable plans. You must provide suitable plans.

· Providing guidance on the fee levels payable to the licensing authority.

· Preparing copies of the premises licence application for disclosure to the responsible authorities and serving copies of the application on the responsible authorities.

· Drafting the notices advertising the premises licence application and submitting the notice to the local newspaper.

· Arranging with you for you to display the notice(s) advertising the premises licence application and advising as to where and how this should be done by you in order to comply with the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003.

· Providing a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) consent form for signature by a personal licence holder proposed by yourself.

· Checking the licence once granted and correcting any errors with the licensing authority.

The fee does not include:

· obtaining suitable plans

· attending pre-consultation meetings with the Licensing Authority or Responsible Authorities, nor their fee for this meeting.

· dealing with or advising you in relation to queries or representations received from either the responsible authorities or other interested parties

· advising on varying the licence

· attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee hearing of the responsible authority. If representations are received and attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee is required then we will provide a separate fee estimate for this work which will be charged at an hourly rate.

How long will my application take?

Matters usually take 2-6 weeks from receipt of full instructions from you. This is on the basis of the application being relatively straightforward and you being able to provide all the necessary documents promptly. If your matter is more complex, for example, if there is substantial opposition from interested parties, or if there is a delay in receiving the documents we need, it may take longer.

Motoring Offences

Ben Posener is a solicitor who has 18 years of experience in commercial law, dispute resolution, insolvency and mediation/arbitration matters, and therefore may be able to assist you or refer you to someone in his team to help resolve your issue. If the work is not carried out by him it will be carried out by another qualified lawyer or paralegal supervised directly by him.

The Magistrates’ Court is the only venue with which to deal with summary motoring infractions. A Magistrates’ Court will need to hear your case if disqualification is being considered or if you choose to plead not guilty, even though some situations may be handled through the Single Justice Procedure.

Legal Aid is typically not offered in situations of this nature. Depending on whether a guilty or not guilty plea is entered and the number of hearings necessary, our fees for handling these cases may vary. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, driving without insurance, failing to submit driver information, driving carelessly, using a cell phone while driving, and failing to provide a specimen are all examples of summary motoring offences.

The majority of traffic infractions are resolved during the initial court appearance, which typically occurs within one month of getting the postal summons to appear. In the event that a not guilty plea is entered, the matter will be postponed until trial, which is typically scheduled for three months after the initial court appearance.

Our fees for offences are based on the plea or argument to be made. They are as follows:

· Guilty plea summary offence – £500 plus VAT at 20% (one hearing only)

· Guilty plea speeding offence – £500 plus VAT at 20% (one hearing only)

· Exceptional hardship argument/special reason hearing – £500 plus VAT at 20% per court attendance

· Full trial in relation to a summary motor offence – £1000 plus VAT at 20%

· Advice on appeal – £150 plus VAT at 20%

· Conducting an appeal – £1000 plus VAT at 20%

Our fixed fee includes:

· Telephone calls, letters and emails.

· Any meetings required at our offices.

· Considering evidence.

· Advice on the case.

· Advice on plea and sentencing.

· Representation at court on the day your case is listed.

Additional costs to your matter may include:

· Instructing an expert witness, the cost of which would be given by whichever witness is instructed.

· Travel expenses which would be charged based on the relevant cost or mileage at 45 pence per mile plus VAT at 20%

The key stages of your matter are usually as follows:

· Initial meeting with your solicitor in the office when we will take your instructions on what happened

· Considering the evidence and provide you with legal advice

· Explaining the court procedure to you and advise you what to expect

· Discussing the sentencing options available to the court

· Completing any preparatory work ahead of the hearing

· Answering any follow up queries you have.

· We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.

· We will attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court. We will anticipate being at court approximately 30 minutes before your hearing.

· We will discuss the outcome with you and advise you on the merits of an appeal.

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